Asia North Korea Experience gained by North Korean forces on the battlefields of the Russia-Ukraine war imposes changes in the security calculus on the Korean Peninsula, as NK troops have been exposed to the technology and tactics of modern warfare, UN Commander reveals
Africa Togo Integrated Strategic Plan for Rabies Elimination will begin with a pilot phase in the Plateaux region; its pillars are epidemiological surveillance, dog bites prevention, better dog vaccination coverage, timely care for people exposed, community awareness
Asia Thailand New Sadao border checkpoint with Malaysia has been opened to improve trade and passenger flows; The larger facility is expected to reduce congestion on one of the busiest land borders in Southeast Asia and strengthen economic links
Asia Yemen In a decade of war, checkpoints have become a key issue: trucks carrying fuel, food or medicine must navigate dozens of them, paying levies to an overlapping cast of armed actors: formal, militia-linked, tribal, rebel; a new paper portraits the situation
Oceania Fiji A vacancy notice for the post of Director of Public Prosecutions has been posted by the Judicial Services Commission, inviting applications from suitably qualified local and overseas candidates to head Fiji's independent prosecuting authority
Asia South Korea Poverty rate among older adults in South Korea fell below 40% for the first time thank to higher pensions and expanded welfare support; Despite the improvement, the country still records the highest elderly poverty rate among OECD countries
Europe United Kingdom King Charles and Queen Camilla met Charles' son, Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and their two children at Highgrove; King Charles had last met his grandchildren, who are now 7 and 5-years-old, in 2022
Asia Jordan The National Seed Bank in Ain Al Basha counts today over 5.000 genetic accessions of field crops, wild crops, vegetables, medicine and aromatic plants, rangeland, forest species; it stores plants’ genetic data to preserve diversity and sustainability
Europe Slovakia Lines from famous Andrej Sládkovič love poem Marína are orbiting Earth engraved on one of the components of nanosatellite Marína, launched into outer space earlier this week to monitor weather and radiation; it's the 5th Slovak device, the 2nd private one
Africa Sierra Leone Serenimind, an African mental health and wellness startup, has begun its monthly Africa-wide youth wellbeing campaign series, with a focus on child emotional wellbeing in Sierra Leone; it's titled “The Child Behind the Smile: Every Behaviour Has a Story”
Asia Vietnam Crackdown on anti-state activity on social media has been intensified, with police investigating and prosecuting individuals accused of spreading content deemed harmful to national security; critics argue it further restricts freedom of expression
Asia Tajikistan As official figures show a 9,3% oil production increase in the first half of 2026, farmers will be able to purchase diesel at a subsidized price of $1,20 per liter through the Agency for State Material Reserves in response to fuel shortages in the country
Oceania Tonga Women from across Tonga have endorsed the Tonga Women’s Platform for Action 2026 to 2029, a national roadmap aimed at advancing women’s leadership, rights, and opportunities over the next three years
Asia Laos About $12 million in digital taxes from global technology companies have been collected under new law: foreign providers of online services must register with Lao tax authorities regardless of whether they have a physical presence in the country